Cycling

So, I bought an old Italian roadbike on Ebay. Needless to say I am now a very, very happy camper. It rides like a dream and I can't even explain how much I've missed road cycling.

So, I've added a page to my blog where I'm tracking my miles. You can check out my progress by clicking 'Cycling,' located at the very top right hand side of the page next to 'Home' and above 'Dani in Deutschland.'

Until next time!

German words in the English Language

One of the things that never ceases to amuse and fascinate Germans is the German words used in the English language.

German is FULL of English words, with many of them 'eingedeutscht' - that is, germanized... either spoken with German pronunciation or even spelled the German way. Some are English words used to mean something different in German. English words in the German language include:

• das Handy (cell phone)
• das Event
• der Manager
• der Sticker
• das Handout
• der Energydrink
• der Flyer
• das Toastbrot (toast)
• das CD Booklet
• der Computer
• easy
• Der Pullover (sweatshirt/hoodie)
• Das T-Shirt
• Die Boxer-Shorts
• cool
• Der Trainer (coach)
• Die Livemusik (live music)

This list goes on and on and on. English words are especially used in advertising, where companies often think it's cool to write (often incorrect) English. Many Germans, especially German teachers, bemoan the Anglicization and 'decline' of the German language. Sometimes I will search for the German word to describe something only to discover they don't even have a German word for it - the use the English (or, worse, the French) word instead.

But what a lot of Germans (and maybe Americans, too) don't know is how many German words we actually use in the English language... which is actually a considerable amount. I have had many conversations describing this phenomenon to Germans, and it never fails to delight them. The find 'Gesundheit' especially hilarious and astounding. Here's a list:

• Gesundheit - what we sometimes say when people sneeze. A lot of English speakers think it means the same thing as 'Bless you,' but it actually means 'health.'
• Rucksack - a word for 'backpack' that is mostly said by old people
• Über - a German prefix used to mean 'super'
• Schadenfreude - enjoyment in the someone else's pain
• Zeitgeist - spirit of the past
• Doppelganger - a lookalike of another person, spelled Doppelgänger in German
• Angst - fear
• Blitzkrieg - lightning war (Hitler's strategy for WWII)
• Deli/Delicatessen - spelled Delikatessen in German, a shop selling prepared meats and cheese
• Fest - festival
• Frankfurter - hot dog
• glitz/glitzy - sparkly, glamorous (glitzerig auf deutsch)
• Glockenspiel - "bell play" - an instrument played by striking tuned flat metal plates
• kaput - broken (spelled kaputt in German)
• kitsch/kitschy - something gaudy or pretentious, in poor taste (der Kitsch/kitschig)
• Kindergarten - preschool in Germany, first year of elementary school in the US
• poltergeist - a ghost that makes mysterious noises, from 'poltern' (to make noise)
• schnapps - any strong, distilled alcoholic drink (brandy, whiskey, vodka, etc.)
• Wunderkind - child prodigy

German has had quite an influence on American culture and language, and remains very important and relevant to learn :) Plus, it's fun!

In other news, I have three months left (as of yesterday) and I am constantly struggling between excitement to go home and the disbelief and incredible sadness at the realization that I will actually have to leave Germany. My feelings are all over the place and I'm kind of a blubbering mess sometimes. I can't even imagine how I'm going to feel in July...

Liebe Grüße